Dear Travelers
Well, what a whirlwind of a Soccer World Cup 2010 in South Africa! It truly was a spectacle, and an absolute pleasure to be part of. And to all the nay-sayers out there who did not believe that South Africa could pull this one off: sorry for you. We did it in style!
We experienced drama aplenty on the field, with quite few early upsets, many superb goals (and goalkeeping). After the round robin phase some huge favourites crashed out: England, France and Italy to name a few. This included Bafana Bafana, but they did great, delivering an electrifying opening goal of the tournament that lit up the fire in every South African’s heart. And even as lowly ranked underdogs, Bafana certainly provided a lot of hope to the South Africans who were united in their support of the home team. And more than that, they somehow brought the rainbow nation together as a proud host of this epic event.
Once Bafana Bafana were out of the tournament, this did not dampen the spirits of the locals who mostly adopted the in-form African team, Ghana, who played brilliantly, narrowly missing out on a semi-final berth after beating the USA in extra time and eventually losing to Uruguay in a penalty shoot-out.
Off the field there was so much to see and do: walking our streets and the fan walks to the stadiums, interacting with the colourful and outrageously dressed soccer fans from all over the world who were oozing with good vibes whilst soaking up the local culture, embracing the vuvuzela, the makarapa and the diski dance. The stadiums worked really well, each with its unique design and flavour.
And for those who did not get tickets there were loads of amazing venues to enjoy watching the soccer: outdoor fan parks with huge screens, township pubs, rooftop tents, restaurants and more. And what a scene in each! The ubiquitous vuvuzela became an icon and signature sound of this World Cup and might be in the next one too. Watch this space! Our cities have been transformed with many superb upgrades to public transport, fantastic pedestrianized areas and all sorts of other innovations that will remain as part of the positive legacy from the Soccer World Cup 2010.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu summed it up perfectly: “We have bedazzled ourselves, and the world, with our warmth, efficiency, beauty and our promise. Never before have we experienced this overwhelming joy of unity in purpose.”
So as the Soccer World Cup slowly fades into the background, it is your turn to visit the shores of the host nation and her neighbours, to experience the magic and mystery that is waiting for you in Africa. There are plenty of great offers, exciting adventures to try, special journeys to be made and so many fantastic destinations to choose from. We look forward to personally hosting you here in Africa sometime soon.
All the best from Cape Town
The Africa Bespoke Team
LATEST SPECIAL OFFERS
For those of you who are weighing up where to travel next, Southern Africa is an excellent destination as there is superb luxury and value for money on offer. Plus there are plenty of post World Cup Specials on, many Winter Specials in SA until end of September, and free nights that equate to 25% discounts on the various Pay 3 Stay 4 offers. So have a look and find something that suits you.
WEBSITE RE-LAUNCH NEW LOOK AND FEEL
For those of you who have not visited us on the world wide web recently, we have updated our site again, featuring a bit of a makeover. Take a peek for yourself and let us know what you think. Enjoy!
VIRTUAL ITINERARIES
Have a look at some of our packages using the hottest new tool in the Travle Industry: the Virtual Itinerary. This allows you to “live the journey” before you arrive and includes plenty of media rich content directly related to the route you are looking at. The VI is based on Google Maps/Google Earth platform.
Benefits of the Virtual itinerary inculde: you receive a visual, interactive representation of your itinerary, you get a spatial understanding of you rtrip, including destinations and exact location. It provides the ability to do in-depth research on the Google Maps/Earth platform. You can view the location of your hotel in relation to places of interest, activities and restaurants. there is easy access to informative rich content (videos, images, virtual tours and more). It can help improve your itinerary and ultimately your experience. The guide includes useful local knowledge and recommendations. All the information is geo-located, accessible and easily navigated. It assists you the traveler to make more informed decisions.
BESPOKE TRAVEL BLOG
Our blog is going from strength to strength lately, with plenty of features the exciting destinations, new adventures, lodges, hotels, restaurants, plus great photos to enjoy. Have a look and see what the team have been up to recently. And if you like it, please sign up to receive regular updates direct to your inbox.
NEW 5 STAR ACCOMMODATION IN CLIFTON, CAPE TOWN
Exciting news for those looking for beach luxury. We have a superb newly launched property on our books. Set on the legendary Clifton First Beach in Cape Town. This modern open plan apartment overlooking the ocean is a must to try out on your next visit. Have a look at the website and book through us.